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As a foreign student from Vietnam, I could barely speak English when I first joined Loyang Secondary Debate Society. Under Alfred’s patient training and guidance, I never felt that my lack of proficiency in the English language would prevent me from becoming successful in debates. There were many training sessions where he spent a lot of time explaining to me every minute detail of our team’s prepared case to ensure that I could perform well in national competitions.

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Reuben went above and beyond as a debate coach to help me achieve my potential. His dedication and sincerity has inspired me to develop a passion for debating. His invaluable lessons have also helped me achieved success both as a debater and as a student.

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Having joined debate only when I entered Polytechnic, I was often discredited by judges for sounding unclear due to my problems with articulation and style. Alfred recognized my talent and gave me confidence that I could succeed. He would always stay back even after other members have left to provide additional coaching dedicated to help me improve my speaking ability. This allowed me to compete on equal footing with those with more years of debate experience.

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If there’s a debater I’ve never actually debated with, whom I want to debate with, that might be Alfred Goh. He can be incredibly funny, and the last couple of times I saw him debate he turned out to be an excellent rhetorician. He is a joy to watch.

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After graduating from secondary school, I have missed Reuben’s quirky and interesting training sessions. Achieving success in any competitive CCA is always tough, but Reuben’s humour and charisma ensured that the process was always immensely enjoyable and gratifying.